While I will admit, my overall feelings about my body have skyrocketed compared to where they were pre-transition, the reality is that for the trans and non-binary community, our selfies are our growth charts. When I was growing up, I always assumed everyone hated their body as much as I hated mine. I mean, there […]
I fear that I will try too hard and alienate myself, or that I will try too little and be a disappointment. I am a bad academic. At least, that’s what I tell myself sometimes. The semester is wrapping up and people I know are graduating from their respective programs. One friend, after years of […]
Without recognition for the daily effort we’re putting in, what kind of reward can most of us look forward to? My daughter is practicing her somersaults. She doesn’t quite have it down yet: she crouches, tucks her head, then rolls onto her side and giggles. “You’re working hard on that,” I observe. “I’m proud of […]
I’m more afraid of having a baby than I am sitting through a horror flick. And I’ve seen Carrie. On my 21st birthday I officially declared to my parents that I would never get married or have children. I’m now 39 and I’ve defiantly stuck to my guns. Amongst my friends, I feel like the adolescent […]
There are days when getting out of bed takes grit. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who make their beds in the morning, and those who do not. If I ever become one of the latter, you’ll know I’ve given up. “What’s the point making my bed when I’m only going […]
Taking antidepressants is like removing a fog you never realized you lived beneath. I see myself and the world clearer; I am more myself on antidepressants, not less. Two weeks ago, I was sitting in the kitchen at work when the topic of wellness came up. It didn’t take long for the conversation to shift […]
As a fat person, the thought that I’m already taking up too much space and that it would be selfish to ask for more is always in the back of my mind. I’m in my water exercise class, and it feels amazing. I have enough room to fully extend, stretch, and flex. I’m swinging my […]
When someone is grieving, you need only say, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Don’t force a bereft person to parry your reactions, receive your advice, or sate your curiosity. Just sit quietly and listen. On my kitchen counter sits his cast-iron teapot. The delicate, stemless wineglasses he brought over take up space in the cabinet. […]
